Found on Christmas
by charactersthatholdmyheart
Summary: Jane has a tough case on Christmas Eve, but her wife Maura, and her daughter, help her through it.


**Author's Note: **So the idea for this just popped into my head last night on Christmas Eve and I just was itching to write it, and get it out to you guys. It was supposed to be a short one-shot, but I got more into it then I thought I would. I don't know, you may see more of this family in the future.

**Found On Christmas **

"Jane? What if he's coming?" the little girl cried.

"Do you hear him?" Jane said, sitting up alert and clutching the phone. "Do you hear him coming?"

"No, I'm just—I'm scared."

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "I know baby girl, I know. Why don't you sing me a song, okay?"

Jane's voice was higher than normal, and gentle—the way she talked to Amelia when she was hurt or afraid. It was also shaking a little.

Frost looked up at her from where he was working to try and trace the call. Jane sat up straighter in her chair and tried to eliminate the softness in her features, gain control of her voice, her emotions. She couldn't be too soft right now. She couldn't lose perspective. This was not Amelia, this was not her daughter.

This girl had been taken by a mad man who killed two people in a corner store he robbed. She was nine years old, just going a block from her house to the store to pick up milk for her mother. Wrong place at the wrong time. The perp used her as a shield as he escaped from the store, so no one would try to hurt him. He must have decided last minute that he could use her for more—use her for ransom, and possibly other reasons Jane would prefer not to think of. They needed to find her before she was more emotionally scarred than she already was.

She was a smart girl. Crawled through a small hole in the wall in the place he locked her in. This had led into another room where she found a phone to call the police. She was put through to Jane's division since they were working the murders this guy had committed. This was their best lead.

They had been trying to track the girl's location for awhile now, but were having no luck. He had secured his place somehow from being tracked. Jane didn't know the full details of it, but Frost told her that they kept getting different celltower locations. But maybe with a little more time, Frost could figure out how to get through that setup. Jane just needed to keep this girl on the phone. But the girl was frightened, and exhausted.

"Emily? Emily, honey, can you think of a song? Just sing to me."

There was quiet on the other end, but then the girl started singing quietly, in a sweet voice that only a child can possess. But it was shaky, full of fear.

"Silent night, holy night," she took a deep breath. "All is calm, all is bright."

"Ok, good. Good girl, just keep singing."

Jane cupped her hand over the speaker, but kept listening with one ear.

"Frost, we got anything? I don't know how much longer she can hold up."

Frost shook his head sadly. "Jane, I'm trying here. I am."

Jane sighed in frustration. "I know Frost, I know."

The girl was still singing, and it sounded so much like Amelia. So much like…

"Jane."

She looked up to see an angel standing before her. But she couldn't stand seeing Maura right now, especially with that worried look on her face. She couldn't think of Amelia. Jane couldn't think of her family right now. She had to keep her head in the game. Jane closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand, on her job, on finding Emily.

She spoke into the phone, deliberately avoiding Maura's eyes. "Emily? That's wonderful singing. But can you do something for me? Can you try to listen again for any sounds you hear coming from outside? Like a train? Remember what I asked you before?"

Maura turned to look at Frost who gave her a sympathetic smile. "She's working hard on this one," he said, as if Maura couldn't see that.

"No one else can do it? She already had a 24 hour shift beforehand and then she got caught up with this. She hasn't slept for over 36 hours, Frost."

She looked over with concern at a clearly exhausted Jane.

"I know, but you know how she gets," Frost lowered his voice, and glanced over at Jane to find her reassuring the little girl on the other end. "And this is a particularly emotional—well, she's already established a bond with the victim."

Maura smiled a little as she heard Jane's soft voice and caring words. She even started to sing a little, Maura assumed along with the child. Jane always said she hated singing. But here she was, singing along to "Silent Night". Maura had gotten used to this side of Jane ever since they had had their daughter Amelia, and she loved it. She always found herself watching Jane in awe.

Maura sighed, knowing that this is something Jane had to do. That even though Jane was tired and overworked, she was still the best person to find this child, simply because she would put her all into it. Chances are Jane would succeed, and then she would come home to her family. They would all be together on Christmas tomorrow. Resigned, Maura headed out to go get both Jane and Frost some coffee.

A couple hours later, Jane was losing her patience, and slowly losing Emily.

"Emily? Em, sweetie, please stay with me. I know you're tired, but we've almost found you, okay?"

She looked at Frost, knowing this probably wasn't true, but he didn't even meet her eye, so engrossed was he in trying to hack through this protective shield. She sighed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so tired. She'd been working less, not pulling as many long shifts, ever since Amelia was born. But this little girl needed her.

"When? You keep saying that, Jane. I just want you to find me. I just want to go home. Please. I don't need anything else for Christmas. Tell Santa all I want is to go home."

Jane's heart was breaking. "I know, baby girl, we're doing all we can to get you home. I'm sure Santa knows. I'm sure he knows."

She imagined not having Amelia home for Christmas, how empty the house would be. They'd established such precious traditions over the last seven years, and Amelia was a crucial part of them. Without Amelia—Jane squeezed the side of her head. No, she needed to stop thinking like that. This girl needed her, this girl—

Frost suddenly leapt from his chair. "Jane, I got it. I think I got it!"

She bolted upright, suddenly wide awake, already grabbing her jacket.

"Emily we found you! Honey, we're coming, okay? Just hold on."

They found their perp, and Jane felt a jolt of adrenaline as she slammed him against the wall, finally locking him in chains. They found Emily, and Jane almost broke down right there at the sight. Emily was so tiny, so scared, her dark hair falling wildly around her face, her eyes watery and wide. Even though there was a team of people there, she knew right away who Jane was. Emily reached out her arms towards her and Jane scooped her up. She held onto Jane so tightly, and wouldn't let go until she saw her mother. Jane found her Christmas gift in the way Emily's face lit up when she saw her parents, and the joy that radiated from all of them at being reunited.

When Jane finally arrived home, she was absolutely drained. She barely had the energy to kick off her shoes and take off her jacket. Then she turned the corner to the sight of her daughter sitting at the kitchen counter, laying out cookies on a plate.

"Mama!" Amelia cried when she saw her, and came running towards Jane.

"Hi, pumpkin!" Jane said, trying not to groan too loudly as she caught her in her arms. Holding Emily for so long had really worn her out.

"Amelia, Mama's had a hard day, okay? So be gentle with her," Maura said, as she appeared in the kitchen.

Jane placed Amelia on the ground, kissing her on the cheek, and whispering in her ear, "It's fine, sweetheart. Mama's okay," at the sight of her cute little face scrunched up in worry. God, she looked just like her mother sometimes.

Maura stood there watching Jane with almost the same exact face. Jane took Maura in her arms, squeezed tightly, and sighed at the feeling of having Maura's arms finally wrapped around her. Then she kissed her. Quick, but sweetly. She turned to see that her child was already back at the table pouring milk.

"And who is that for?" Jane asked.

"For Santa! Silly Mama," Amelia said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Maura and Jane both laughed. Sometimes their little girl could have quite an attitude. They both knew where she picked that up from.

"You're right, Mia, how silly of me."

Jane took Maura's hand and led her to their bedroom, calling over her shoulder. "Have a cookie and then brush your teeth, okay? Mommy and I are going to talk for a bit."

Maura curled up on the bed facing Jane, listening intently as Jane told her of all the trials of the day. Towards, the end of the story, Jane couldn't help the tears that came. She could feel the anxiety, the worry rushing back to her. Maura took her gently in her arms and held her. Jane lay with her head on Maura's chest, Maura drawing circles on her back and whispering reassurance. She knew Maura wouldn't ask her to finish the story, that she would just hold her as long as she needed.

"Maura?" she said, softly after a bit.

"Yes, darling girl."

Jane felt the tears coming again.

"I'm sorry."

But Maura just wrapped her arms around Jane tighter, and shook her head. "For what? Everything's fine. Everyone's fine."

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Jane repeated over and over, burying herself further into Maura's arms.

Maura kissed her head. No words were needed. She allowed herself to shed a few tears as well, so glad that Jane was safe. That everyone was safe and alright. Jane would be alright. She just needed this time to breakdown, but Maura knew she would bounce right back to her old, wise-cracking self tomorrow. She was so strong.

Amelia stood before them in the living room, all ready for bed in her Christmas pajamas, the ones with the reindeer. Jane and Maura sat on the couch holding hands.

"Okay, so I want to sing this Christmas song that we learned in Music at school. It's good practice."

"Okay, sweetie, go ahead," Jane encouraged, trying not to smile at the serious look on her seven-year old daughter's face, at the way she held herself as if getting ready for a great performance.

"Silent night, holy night," Amelia began to sing in the sweetest voice Jane had ever heard. Immediately, Jane's eyes filled with tears, thinking of Emily. She felt Maura squeeze her hand.

"All is calm, all is bright."

It could have been Amelia, it could have been her daughter that was taken. In a rush, before she even knew what she was doing, Jane had sprinted over to Amelia and snatched her up in her arms.

She held her tightly, so tightly, but she couldn't stop herself. She breathed in the strawberry shampoo scent of her hair, mixed with a smell that reminded her of Maura, and just—her daughter's own unique smell. She felt the weight of her daughter in her arms. She would always remember how her daughter felt, she would always remember. But what if she lost her? Jane felt a sob escape from her chest, and her daughter's arms wrap tighter around her neck.

"Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia," she whispered, still holding her daughter, shaking.

"Mama? It's alright," her daughter's tiny voice sounded worried, but was strong. She was so strong. She'd be okay.

She felt another reassuring hand on her back—Maura. Her family.

Jane carried Amelia to her bed, but when she had tucked her in, she found she couldn't leave.

Maura went to check on them a little later, and found Jane curled up with Amelia in her arms, both of them fast asleep. She stood watching them for awhile, so many emotions running through her at the sight.

Then Maura climbed into the bed, curling up behind Jane, and draping her arm around her wife and daughter, holding them close to her. Dreaming of the Christmas they would have together, dreaming of her family being together for all the years to come.

**Please review and let me know if you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas everyone :) **


End file.
